Has anyone had laser eye surgery? How did it go? How much did you pay?

Question

I am 21 and my eyes have always been bad, but they have gotten more bothersome as I age. I keep hearing about laser eye correction surgery and I have read up on the procedure, but I wanted to get a few opinions and experiences. If you have had this procedure done, when and where did you get it done (ex. doctor's office, lasik, etc)? How much did the procedure cost? What pros and cons do you have about the procedure?

Thanks in advance for all your help.

Answer 1

I had LASIK done in 2001. I had worn glasses/contacts for about 20 years prior to that. I was nearsighted, but not horribly and I did have a slight astigmatism in my left eye which made it hard for me to read without my glasses/contacts.

I had the procedure done by a doctor from the office that I had been going to most of my life. He was new and specialized in LASIK. The procedure was done in a Will's Eye Surgery center that was close to my house - sterile suite and all that.

The procedure cost about $4500, but they were running a special that summer so it ended up costing me about $2500.

It lasted about 15 minutes I guess, I took the valium they offered but I don't think it had an effect. Getting you eye taped open and held in place was kind of weird and uncomfortable, but not painful since they numb your eye. Your eyes are extremely sensitive to light afterwards, but you go home nad take a nap and you can see almost perfectly (it's a bit foggy at first).

My eyesight went from 20/80 or thereabouts to 20/20 in one eye and 20/15 in the other. Just had a check-up and was told that I had gotten a touch nearsighted again, but not enough for glasses (not even for driving). Good news is that this little "slip" in eyesight means I won't need reading glasses as soon as most people (I'm 40 now).

Overall, very happy I had it done. Love not worrying about contact lens stuff or glasses. Never had any bad side effects like haze or starbursts around lights. Of course, now I'm sure the procedure is much better what with Lasik Plus and the Wave etc.- I just haven't had a need to research it anymore. :)

Answer 2

Nobody wants to pay too much for anything, but you are talking about microsurgery on your eyes. If you can't afford the best available surgeon, then you may not want to have Lasik at all. You need to focus (pun intended) on the quality of the surgeon and keep price secondary. If you go on the cheap and something goes wrong, you may never forgive yourself. That said, just because someone charges a lot does not make them a better doctor, nor does charging less make them a poor doctor. I work for a nonprofit organization that certifies Lasik doctor patient outcomes. We don't provide Lasik, just Lasik information and certification. What you will pay will depend greatly on your unique circumstances and which procedure is recommended. Conventional Lasik ablation will likely be less expensive than wavefront-guided custom Lasik. All-Laser Lasik will likely be more expensive than Lasik with a mechanical microkeratome. Some clinics charge extra for "lifetime acuity" plans that provide additional surgery if required later. If you don't know what these terms mean, then you really are not yet well enough informed to know if you need to pay extra to get them. Some national chains advertise as low at $299 an eye, but when you look at the financial reports of those same chains you will find that the averaged cost is about $1,350 per eye. Lasik cost varies from about $1,400 to $2,900 per eye, depending on the surgeon and technology, according to David Harmon, president of the St. Louis research firm MarketScope. Would you purchase a pair of glasses out of a basket at a thrift store and expect to be able to see well? Perhaps you would see okay, but you would probably only want to wear glasses that provide the most accurate correction for your eyes. Lasik is much the same. I don't mean to equate $299 Lasik to a thrift store, but I'm sure you get the idea. You may find want to consider one of the doctors our organization has certified or use our 50 Tough Questions For Your Lasik Doctor to help screen any doctor.

Answer 3

I had it done approx 1 year ago. And I can't believe that I didn't do it sooner! It's been the greatest. I never expected to see that much better. I'm still amazed when I'm looking out. I had the surgery done in Windsor, Canada. At LasikMD. It was approx 900 (us) for everything, including follow up appointments and meds and such. I was so freaking nervous, but after it was all done in approx 10 minutes I was fine. There was no pain during the procedure just pressure. And the smell was kinda gross. But would I do it again knowing what I know now? YEP!!
Go to Lasikmd.com and schedule an appointment those people were awesome!!
Good luck!! And do it!!!

Answer 4

I went and had it done by Dr. Motwani in San Diego. He's got the best published results of any doctor in the area. It was a fast procedure and was relatively painless. I'm glad for having it done. My eyesight is perfect and I got rid of all my contacts and glasses. It's like I'm living life in high definition. The results are noticeable by the next day and as your vision settles you realize how bright and beautiful things are again. Dr. Motwani isn't the cheapest, at $3100 for me it was well worth it. When it comes to your eyes, don't go with the lowest bidder. Find someone that owns the machine and not a doctor that is leasing an eye center. A doctor that owns the equipment is more experienced in using the machine and making the necessary adjustments. If the machine isn't properly calibrated then the results won't be 20/20. I got 20/10 which is even better!

Answer 5

Laser vision correction today is a very effective procedure for reducing myopia (nearsightedness). It is estimated that over 800,000 people will have laser vision correction in the United States during 1999. There are two main procedures: PRK and LASIK. Both use a cool laser beam that reshapes the surface of the eye. Both take approximately 10 minutes per eye and are generally safe procedures, but like any surgical procedure, they both involve risks.

Lots more information on this topic below:
http://health.ivillage.com/eye/eyelasik/0,,4pds,00.html

Answer 6

I have a cousin that had the surgery she said it was about $5000, she said it was quick and easy but after a few hours her eyeballs was sore, but that is normal... She said that it was the best thing that she ever did and love the fact that she don't have to worry about contacts and glasses anymore. I was thinking about having the surgery too but I can't afford it. GOOD LUCK!!

Answer 7

I would seriously consider having this procedure done if I were your age. However, since I'm now in my late 40s, I will likely need reading glasses if I get it. I really don't like the idea of swapping one problem for another, especially since LASIK is expensive and often not covered by insurance.

Answer 8

I just got my lasik surgery a few day ago and i am amazed with the result so far, google Dr Joseph Y Lee at the Lasik Eye Center, he was really nice and explained everything i asked him about the surgery... good luck with that...

Answer 9

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Answer 10

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